Usually, when a bill comes in the mail, I am not anxious to open it, however; these days when my Denver water bill arrives I open it first.  checking to see our family’s consumption and monthly charges is always a game for me.  I like to note if we saved this month, how much we consumed over last year and our cost.   This week when the bill came there, in big, bold print was the headline: 2010 Water Rate Changes (not increases as it truly is)  The bill directs one to their website.    They state on the web site:

Your 2010 Denver Water Rates

Effective February 2010, Denver Water’s rates will increase. On average, Denver residential customers will pay $40 more per year — an average of about $3.30 per month, or about $12 on a summer bill. Typical suburban residential customers served by Denver Water will see an increase of $51 per year — an average of $4.30 per month, or about $16 on a summer bill. The amount of your bill will vary depending on how much water you use. The more you use, the more you pay. (my italics and bolding).

But don’t worry,  your bill if your are residential consumer will only go up $51.00 per year (avg).  But please note, this is JUST the service charge!

Actual rates are dependent upon consumption. The more you use the more you pay.  If given the opportunity to reduce consumption by 30% to 40% you know you will pay less and consume less.  HMMMMM, what’s all this fuss about greywater reuse??? 

There are two components to Denver Water’s rates:  Service Charges ( which we know have gone up this month from $4.41 per month to $5.58 per month, an increase of 21%.) and Consumption Charge per gallon. The rate being charge per 1000 gallons before the rate hike was $1.91 per 1000 gallons. current rate charges for 1000 gallons is $2.11per 100 gallon.  (only a 10% increase).  However, this is the lowest rate of all consumption for Denver Water.  If you like to take long showers, water your garden in the middle of the day, let you hose run or even keep the water running when you brush your teeth you may be subjected to a over 40 gallon (with a 1000 gallon multiplier) you will be charges $8.44 per 1000 gallons, compared to $7.64 before the rate hike. (10% increase).

We pay hardly anything for our water.  I am pleased to fork over my $23.00 per month for water and sewage services.  It’s the best deal in town.  We have to have water, truly is my cell bill 10 times more valuable than water.  No, I don’t see how it can be.  

My message is truly water is undercharged, and supplemented by local, regional and national agencies.  We can be smart by practicing conservaton now, reducing consumption is easy, but recycling and reusing truly consumes less. But we also need the help of people in Denver Water and all water regulatory agenices to promote the use of grey water and not hinder it with regulations and personality conflicts and old school thoughts.

How exciting!!!!  Today I was alerted to a blog, written by Kevin Geminiuc of the Colorado Green Tech Blog with a feature Article about Conservation through water ReUse.  The article succinctly describes the WL55 and describes the mission and product extremely well.  I personally could not have written it better.  So, I’d like to share it with you through this link and our Facebook page.  http://www.coloradogreentech.net/meetupblog/?p=328

We are so excited that in the upcoming issue of Green Mechanical Contractor Magazine Water Legacy will be featured.  The article which discusses the ” New Frontier of Residential Water Conservation: Graywater Reclamation Systems” specifically mentions the Water Legacy Product and shows a photo of the sytem installed.  This article clearly and succintly describes the knowledge of greywater, various greywater systems, types of disinfection and treatment, storage options, pumps and controls and distribution piping.

When the article is published I will provide a link directly to the magazine.  In the meantime, DO NOT FLUSH FRESH WATER!!!   cmkv

Hello to all those who read my blogs. 

We were written about and we did not even know it.  The best kind of publicity is truly word of mouth and unsolicited.  Thank you to Michele Melio for her kind words.  To view her article check out this site http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-5397-Denver-Green-Initiative-Examiner~y2009m11d15-Colorado-Green-Tech-MeetUp-Green-Grey-water-recycling

Imagine my surprise while watching the Nebraska vs. Texas game Saturday night when a television commercial from IBM is on the tele discussing the need for water management.  Check out this ad on Youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOcetNnwp7U.

We can make a difference in many ways, and Water Legacy with it’s greywater recycling systems for residential use starts right at home.  Call us for more information. 

From Boulder Daily Camera 11/30/09

When you talk to Joseph Vigil, principal

architect and co-owner of VaST Architecture,

about his work, words like Passion and

Inspiration come up – more than once.

Vigil and his wife and business partner Brandy LeMae founded the award-winning Boulder firm in 2000 to bring high-performance architecture, site planning and green design to an array of construction projects, from ground-up new homes to complete renovations.

The media has been quick to take notice of this small design firm with big plans. VaST projects have been featured on HGTV’s “World’s Greenest Homes,” in national architecture magazines and in books on green building. As a full service studio, they have even created identity and package design forBoulder Valley businesses.

The VaST portfolio includes impressive custom homes, restaurant remodels and municipal projects. But behind contemporary silhouettes, colorful fascia and dramatic site installations, pure architecture often happens at thenuts-and-bolts level, as architects design and specify the systems and infrastructure that make our buildings perform like perfectly tuned engines. Sometimes, it just comes down to how we flush our toilets.

VaST Architecture has recently been working with Thistle Community Housing to replace a multi-family building that was demolished after a fire destroyed the original structure. “Our goal is always to bring the highest degree of sustainability and eco-centered components to every project,” Vigilexplains, “and the Thistle project was a great opportunity to show that green building practices don’t have to be limited to just high-end concept design.”

One of the upgraded efficiencies is the addition of a graywater system, which is projected to save up to 30 percent of the building’s total water usage. Graywater systems work by capturing the effluent water from baths, showers, sinks and washing machines and channeling it into water-saving applications – likeflushing toilets. The practice is new to many municipalities, so codes and regulations are still being worked out.

Vigil, who sits on the board of the Boulder Green Building Guild, had sent out an e-mail to the membership requesting donationsof goods and services to help support the Thistle project. “I got a call from Mike Vail at WaterLegacy. He was interested in thefeasibility of building a graywater system into the new building’slaundry facility, which includes eight washers and dryers.”

“We know water shortages are an increasing problem, and we cannot afford to keep using fresh water this way,” Mike Vail says, explaining thatthe typical home uses 30 percent of its fresh water to flush toilets.“Graywater is treatable and can beeasily made safe,” Mike Vail says.

Water Legacy’s system uses the dual disinfecting effects of hydrogenperoxide and UV rays to deliver safeand odorless water to toilet flush tanks. If no gray water is currently stored, then the system draws from fresh water supply. “We think this may be the first multi-family installation of a graywater system inthe nation,” Vail says.

Thistle’s graywater system, which Joseph Vigil estimates will costaround $12,000, is just part of VaST Architecture’s planning to lower utility costs and bring sustainability to the new residences. “We’re working on raising enough funds to install fiberglass windows, which require little maintenance and last much longer than wood or vinyl windows.”

Vigil says that working on the Thistle Housing project has been a rewarding experience, and he is quick to mention that this has been a group effort. “There were many parties involved in this project, and every one has contributed significantly. We look forward to completing this project very soon; we expect to have people enjoying their new Thistle homes in February.”

Thistle Community Housing executive director Mary Roosevelt says that VaST has been “a reliable resource for information in the field of green building, and can translate and coordinate the significant building requirements for energy points as required in our municipality. Joseph has graciously educated Thistle staff on the benefits of using ‘green’ products and techniques, while demonstrating how they fit into our projects.”

The Denver Water Board is raising the rate you pay for water by 13%.  Additionally, water users should expect to see increases continually for next couple of years.  This information is noted in the Denver Post’s editorial page on November 15th , 2009.  www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_13776994?source=pophome

Water Legacy asks:  Should we be concerned?

Our mission is conservation through reusing greywater to flush your toilets. Reusing greywater causes less water (up to 30%) therefore reducing your consumption of fresh residential water.  In Denver, the water rates have already gone up 81% since 2001.  The biggest challenge facing water conservation is that people expect the price of water to be cheap and the supply abundant.  As prices increase, one will look at reduction of cost and that is through conservation. 

We ask that Denverites and citizens of the west become more fully aware of methods of water consumption reduction and take time to evaluate the use of greywater to flush your toilets.

The Colorado Sustainable Design Awards sets a high standard for new construction in both commercial and residential green building.  The most recent awards,  judged on standards set by the Colorado chapter of the American Institute of Architects, Urban Land Institute Colorado and the U.S. Green Building Council Colorado in partnership with ColoradoBiz magazine, gave the first and second place residential award to homes with the Water Legacy WL55 Greywater Recycling System.

This statewide program seeks to recognize the builders who construct both commercial and residential units that meet a set of established guidelines for saving energy and reducing your carbon footprint. Our greywater reuse system was cited prominently in both homes located in Boulder county as one of the leading edge clean technology advancements that set the winners apart.  “Case in point: The winning entry in the residential category – which required lobbying the city of Boulder to allow recycling of gray water – was commissioned by a homeowner who scoffed at the city’s new “green build” guidelines. The sustainable features he had in mind for his home, he told his architect, would trump anything the city required. And he was willing to spend a lot of money to include them.” ColoradoBIZ Magazine, November 2, 2009.

The WL55 was noted by the judges as one of the features in the homes that is marked for future expansion and usage in all building.  To see more about the awards and the winners visit ColoradoBiz Magazine at http://www.cobizmag.com/articles/csda-beyond-the-call-of-green/

Linked In, a professional social networking site is  having a discussion today that asks the question that we have been asking for years.  Why FLUSH FRESH WATER????

http://www.linkedin.com/groupAnswers?viewQuestions=&gid=67451&forumID=3&sik=1255743268281

Water Legacy has spent the past two years working on developing a product that is easily installed in new residential construction.  The need for other applications of the design is becoming apparent as we have designed a unit for a dormitory at the University of Colorado (http://www.newsinfo.colostate.edu/index.asp?url=news_item_display&news_item_id=307579497)

Water legacy has also recently been featured on a YouTube video in conjunction with Service Master to explain the systems function and capability. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbschsK_tNk.  Help promote greywater re-use in your area and if you need expert advice on a system installation call Michael Vail at 303-587-9147 or email him at mvail@waterlegacy.com